Convertible bed.



No. 66|,626. Patented No-v. l3, I900.

K. L. STENHUUSE.

CONVERTIBLE BED.

(Applicafion filed. Feb. 10, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(.No Model.)

N0. 66l,626. Patented Nov. l3, I900.

. K. L. STENHOUSE.

CONVERTIBLE BED. A ncmbn filed Fab. i0, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

llllll!llll llllkll NITED STAT S I PATENT OFFICE.

KATHERINE L. STENI-IOUSE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONVERTIBLE BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 661,626, dated November 13, 1900.

Application filed February 10, 1900. Serial No. 4,752. on model To (1 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KATHERINE L. STEN- HOUSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to convertible beds, and more particularly to that class which may be used either as a bed or as a settee or couch, and is in the nature of an improvement upon the construction set forth in Letters Patent No. 599,921, granted to me March 1, 1898. In my said prior Letters Patent there is described a combined bed and settee composed of two similar members having upwardly-extending end sections, one of said members being slightly shorter than the other, so that when the shorter member is elevated its ends may pass between those of the longer member. This construction results in a lack of symmetry in the appearance of the bed; and it is the principal object of my present invention to provide means for obviating this objection.

To this end my present invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe, and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bed embodying my invention, the same being shown in a position intermediate between its two normal positions. Fig. 2 is a plan section showing the position of the hinges and adjacent parts when the bed is in position for use as a bed. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the position of the parts preparatory to folding the members to form a settee or couch. Fig. 4 is a plan View of one side of the parts shown in Figs. 2 and 3, illustrating the position of said parts when the bed is folded into the form of a settee or couch. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the hinges and its associated parts, and Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the same.

The bed is composed of two members, the main member being indicated at l and the auxiliary member at 2. These members are ings.

of similar construction, so that when the article is arranged as a bed it consists of two symmetrical halves of equal size. The main member 1 is provided with upwardly-extending end sections 3, while the auxiliary memher is provided with similar upwardly-extending end sections 4. In order to permit the folding of these members into position to form a settee or couch, I have made provision for the longitudinal movement of said members relatively to each other, so that the end sections may be moved into separate but parallel planes to permit them to pass during the folding of the bed. To this end I have devised the construction shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 6 of the drawings. In this construction the back or inner legs of the main member are indicated at 5, while the adjacent legs of the auxiliary member are indicated at 6. One pair of hinge members-'7 are secured to the main frame and preferably by attachment to the legs 5, while another pair of hinge members 8 are secured to the auxiliary frame and preferably by attachment to the legs 6. As shown, each hinge member 7 consists of a divided collar, one half of which-as, for instance, the section 9carries the right-angle arm 10, which forms the hinge member proper, said arm being apertured at 11 for the passage of the pintle of the hinge. The half-collar 9 is adapted to fit around one half of the tubular leg 5 and is provided at one of its edges with a flange 12, having a groove 13. The other half of the collar, which is indicated at 14, is adapted to fit around the other half of the tubular leg and is provided at one edge with a flange or rib 15, which is adapted to slip into and fit the groove 13, its other edge being provided with a flange 16, which is adapted to be secured to the half-collar 9 by means of bolts 17. Each hinge member 8 is also composed of a divided collar and a hinge member proper. The divided collar is composed of a half-section 18, adapted to fit around onehalf of the leg 6, and is provided with a yoke 19, through the arms of which passes a bolt 20, which forms the pintle of the hinge, said bolt passing through the aperture 11 in the arm 10 and being secured in position by a nut 21. The yoke 19 is of sufficient width and the pintle-bolt 20 of sufficient length to permit of considerable longitudinal movement of the hinge members relatively to each other in the direction of the length of the bed. The half-collar 18 is provided with a flange 22, having a groove 23. The other half-collar, which is indicated at 24 and which is adapted to fit around the other half of the leg 6, is provided with a rib or flange 25 at one of its edges, adapted to slip into and fit within the groove 23, while its other edge is provided with a flange 26, by means of which it is secured to the half-collar 18 through the medium of bolts 27.

It will be seen that the two bed members when connected by hinge-joints thus constructed are capable of longitudinal movernent relatively to each other. When the article is in use as a bed, the hinge members and those parts of the frame to which they are connected are in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, in which position the two halves or members of the bed are evenly and symmetrically disposed, with their upwardly-extending end sections lying in the same plane at each end. When it is desired to fold the bed into position to form a couch or settee, motion is imparted to one or both members of the bed to cause the hinge members and their associated parts to assume the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the hinge members permitting this longitudinal motion in a manner which will be readily understood. When the parts are in this position, it will be seen that the auxiliary member may be swung up into a plane at right angles, or approximately so, to that which it formerly occupied, the end sections thereof moving into planes parallel to but different from those occupied by the end sections of the main member, so that the end sections will pass each other, the hinge members assuming the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The bed may readily be restored to its original position by folding the auxiliary member down into a horizontal position and so moving the two members as to bring their ends even or in the same plane with each as it does, of two halves of equal instead of unequal length.

The particular construction of the hinge members is such that they may be readily connected to the legs of the bed members and to each other, while they may be as readily disconnected in case it is desired to separate the two members of the bed or remove therefrom the hinge members.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details of construction hereinbefore set forth, as it is obvious that these details may be varied without depart ing from the principle of my invention.

1 claim 1. A combined bed and settee composedof two similar members having upwardly-ex tending end sections, and pivot mechanism connecting said .members at their adjacent sides constructed to afford a limited longitudinal relative movement, whereby the end sections ofthe respective members may be brought into different planes to permit said sections to be moved into a position at right angles to each other, substantially as described.

2. A combined bed and, settee composed of two similar members of equal length, having upwardly-extending end sections lying normally in the same plane at each end of the bed, said members being pivotally connected at their adjacent sides and the pintle and eye members of the hinge connections being constructed to have sliding engagement with each other to permit a limited longitudinal relative movement to bring the end sections into different planes at each end, substantially as described.

3. A combined bed and settee composed of two similar members having upwardly-extending end sections lying normally in the same plane at each end of the bed, and hinges connecting the adjacent sides of said members, the pintle and eye members of each hinge being constructed to have sliding e11- gagement with each other to afford both pivotal and longitudinal movement relatively to each other, substantially asdescribed.

4. A combined bed and settee composed of two similar members 7 having. upwardly-ere tending end sections lying normally in the same plane at each end of the bed, and hinges connecting the adjacent sides of said members, each hinge composed of two members, one provided with an elongated pintle, and the other provided with an apertured arm adapted to turnand slide on said pintle, substantially as described.

5. A combined bed and settee composed of two similar members having upwardly-extending end sections lying normally in the same plane at eachend of the bed, and hinges connecting the adjacent sides of said members, each hinge consisting of a member provided with a yoke having an elongated pintlebolt, and a member having an apertured arm to travel on said pintle-bolt between the arms of the lug, substantially as described.

6. A combined bed and settee composed of two similar members having upwardly-extending end sections lying normally in the same plane at each end of the'bed, and hinges connecting the adjacent sides of said members, each of said hinges consisting of two parts or sections, and each part or section comprising a separable collar for connection with the leg of the bed member, and a hinge a grooved flange, and the other half of which is provided with a rib to fit the said groove, and bolts connecting the halves at the other side of the collar, sn bstantially as described.

8. In a bed of the character described, a hinge comprising two members, one member having a two-part collar, one half of which carries a yoke having a removable pin tie, and is provided with a grooved flange at one side, while the other half is provided with a rib to fit the groove, and bolts connecting the two halves, the other member of the hinge consisting of a two-part collar, one half of which carries an apertured arm adapted to slide on the pintle-bolt and is provided with a grooved flange, the other half of said collar being provided with a rib to engage said groove, and

KATHERINE L. STENI-IOUSE.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK G. Goonwm, IRVINE MILLER. 

